AB de Villiers quashes Test retirement rumours

South African limited overs skipper AB de Villiers has dismissed the rumours surrounding his retirement from Test cricket. The No.1 ODI batsman said that the reason behind the temporary break from Test cricket is to spend more time with his family. Despite making it pretty clear that his priority is limited overs cricket and representing the nation in the 2019 World Cup, he clarified that a Test retirement is not on the cards at this point in time.

De Villiers injured his elbow in June 2016 and went on to miss three-Test series on a trot. When he did recover everyone expected him to be back in the Test fold almost immediately but that didn’t happen as the star batsman ruled himself out from Test cricket for at least a year. Ever since the news broke out, many felt that the workload of all 3 formats is taking a toll on de Villiers so he might be forced to call it quits from the longest format of the game.

“The decision not to play Test cricket this year is purely to spend a bit more time at home. I have played a lot of cricket over the past 12 years. Fully committed in all the formats. I have reached a point; actually in 2015 after the World Cup where I really felt flat and exhausted. I just to break away from one of the formats. So, finally reached the decision of resting a little but in Test cricket. I initially wanted to retire out of the format. But decided to probably keep the option open as I might feel to contribute later,” de Villiers was quoted as saying by Sportzwiki.

Mr. 360 also clarified that the decision was taken consciously keeping in mind the future tours so that it doesn’t end up being a careless choice. The veteran cricketer has been a terrific ambassador of the game and his audacious strokeplay has set him apart from the remaining modern legends of the game.

“In 2018, there are some big tours against India and Australia and the rest of the world. I felt it was important to keep opportunity available and not to make a rash decision. And, maybe I will make a comeback in Test cricket. But, the decision is purely based on family time. I am just tired and the focus has just moved toward the world cup. It is something I haven’t achieved in my career,” he concluded.